Dallas Cowboys Blog

Can the Cowboys internally address their needs at cornerback?

By the end of last season, the Cowboys’ secondary had collapsed in such a way that some wondered if the foundation was faulty. Time and again, Dallas’ defensive backs were chasing receivers downfield after a catch was made – trying in vain to minimize the extent of the damage that had already been inflicted.

But as many observers looked to assign blame to the individuals responsible for the Cowboys’ defensive lapses, they couldn’t come to a consensus when identifying the specific culprits. Were the cornerbacks primarily responsible or the safeties? And which position demanded the most substantial upgrade?

Ball, of course, was ineffective last season – providing inadequate support for Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman, who were repeatedly exposed by receivers. Ball’s underwhelming performance forced the Cowboys to reconsider where he should be deployed at the same time they contemplate re-signing strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh, who is an unrestricted free agent.

With a cloud of uncertainty hanging over both safety positions, the Cowboys’ top personnel priority seems obvious when a new collective bargaining agreement is finalized and the market for veteran players opens. But the cornerback position, at the very least, deserves attention, too. Dallas allowed nine opposing receivers to accumulate 100 or more yards in a single outing last season and Newman and Jenkins were among the 16 NFL defenders who had been burned the most.

Of the 181 passes thrown in their direction, they allowed 112 completions, and by the end of 2010 only two cornerback tandems in the NFL were exposed more than Jenkins and Newman. Although it’s unclear whether the Cowboys would unload Jenkins or Newman in the near future, such a move doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.

But if they were to cast off one of their starters, would the Cowboys be able to find an adequate replacement on their roster?

That doesn’t seem likely despite the fact that the Cowboys now have six cornerbacks after selecting University of Buffalo and former Cedar Hill standout Josh Thomas in the fifth round of April’s NFL Draft. Neither Thomas nor Bryan McCann, an undrafted rookie in 2010, seem ready to fill such a significant role. And it would be hard to imagine the Cowboys would elevate Ball after his struggles at safety forced the Cowboys to consider redeploying him at his original position.

So, that leaves Orlando Scandrick, the Cowboys’ primary slot cornerback, as the most apparent candidate.

Only one cornerback – Indianapolis’ Jerraud Powers – had a worse success rate defending the pass than Scandrick, who was playing zone coverage most of the time while patrolling an area of the field quarterbacks frequently target in third- and second-down passing situations.

On the opposite side of the spectrum was Nnamdi Asomugha, who yielded only 13 receptions in 441 coverage snaps. No other cornerback performed better than Asomugha, who was avoided by opposing quarterbacks and is one of the most coveted free agents on the market.

While it remains uncertain if the Cowboys will make a bid for the high-priced Asomugha, there is little doubt he would improve the team’s standing at that position. Yet the pursuit of Asomugha or even a lesser free agent may depend upon the Cowboys’ strategy for addressing their needs at safety, where it appears the most pressing concerns exist for a secondary in need of repair.